Live MTT, did I mess up.

This is from my Local Monthly Live MTT.

24 people (3 tables of 8, start stacks 5k, start blinds 50/100 every 15 min)

At blind level 4 (300/600). I had just lost the previous hand (top two pair on a flop, guy called me down to catch a straight on the river -2250 in chips) I'm sitting at roughly 5800 in chips and I'm UTG with a 7 left at the table (other table has 7 and the 3rd has 6)

Guy in the BB is moaning that he only has 1k left and is probably going to be all in.

I get 88 UTG, I debate a good bit about making it 1800-2400 to go to isolate the BB. For some reason I decided not too after looking around the table. I just called figured it was going to cost me 1k to see the flop. Which is about when I started to realize I just messed up... the UTG+1 makes the call along with the UTG+2 and the CO and SB.

Flop comes down 6K6 (rainbow). SB checks, I check, UTG+1 moves all in with 2800, the +2 shoves his 8k stack, CO fold, SB fold, I natually fold.

BB has 76
UTG +1 has J6
UTG +2 has K9

Turn 2

river 8


I pretty much cried at that point at my missed full house.

My question is and my own gut feeling was, I should have raised preflop in the UTG spot. and isolated the BB. Honestly I can't remember why I didn't, bad read or something amiss.... most of it was replaced with the the OMG you got to be kidding me 8 on the river thoughts. LOL.

I went on to finish 6 for nada (top 4 money) but that hand haunted me for a good bit while playing.

well.. you should have protected your pocket pair.. make them pay to see the flop.. but I'm guessin your a tight aggressive player..so it's okay.. keep believing in your strategy.. it's gonna work eventually.. goodluck

Wow, I thought the blinds at my local were brutal! At that stage, with only 10bbs left, UTG, you should be shoving or folding pocket eights depending on the others at the table. The bad thing about raising is that you are putting a third of your stack in pre flop and if you get a caller, they will be priced in even if you shove the flop.

We really want to be putting pressure on them pre flop so that they are not getting priced in to call us with draws. Even if everybody folds, we have gained an extra 900 chips which will make a difference.

with your stack size its shove your snowman or fold them
i like to win and not just cashing so i would have shoved allin
certainly with the blinds coming so quick you should have pushed

I kind of figured I made the wrong move. I felt it after I made the call.

Yes the blinds are brutal. I'm still working on a mid-stage strategy for it.

Good thing is I've place 1st and 3rd in the last six tries. (usually at the final table) So I figure I'm doing something right. I just need to follow my gut more often.

Thanks for the input.

wolfie said:

with your stack size its shove your snowman or fold them
i like to win and not just cashing so i would have shoved allin
certainly with the blinds coming so quick you should have pushed

Click to expand...

well this is a pro mentality.. you should not aim for cash.. so if you aren't sure of your card .. even though it's a KJ and your not feeling it.. just fold it..
don't make them chase or anything .. it's double up or go home.. if you let them chase then goodluck.. +1 wolfie on the quote !

shove or fold - limping is probably the worst thing you could do UTG
I shove everytime will 88's 7 handed

I believe you did the right thing folding in that situation. I personally would've folded the 88, knowing I am next in line to be BB and SB.
So many times after folding we will see our dream hand pop up after we fold. It is especially annoying when we see all this raising going on with what should be our pot, that would have put us into the final table over and over again.

With your stack size, it's truly shove or fold.

UTG, I certainly don't mind shoving here, we're likely to get called by the shortstack, and when we make a full house on the river, we realize we were most likely good with just a pair of 8s. More times than not, you'll get a big ace to call you and coinflip to put you at over 20 BBs, out of the tournament, or pick up your blinds.

Raising to 3 BBs puts the pot at 6.5-7.5 BBs if you get one call, your stack at 7, and gives anybody who suspects they're live a reason to call.

Limping in gives a cheap price to everybody who wants to see a flop, and any flop action on a board that doesn't improve you is most likely going to induce a fold.

Folding preflop isn't terrible, but you're likely to be ahead, at worst a coin flip, should you even get called. It depends on the players at your table, but I definitely wouldn't be folding here with only 10 BBs and the blinds right at my door.

I'd jam pre, as I'm sure many would. If you lose, you lose.

Thanks for the advice all. Seems I knew what to do prior, just didn't do it. I'm still learning in some cases. With more practice I'll start making the correct moves more often.

Have to say though last night for the local qualifier... I picked up 88 (early the first level) in the CO everyone had folded to me. Made it 3x to go. only the SB and BB came and I flopped a full house (866) Lucky for me. the BB caught trip 6's and the SB made a runner runner flush. I went on to almost trippling my chip stack. Was a good night.